Look at that beast of a ride! Bullz-Eye.com’s Gerardo Orlando recently reviewed the 2011 Dodge Challenger and this is what he had to say on the beauty:
There are very few cars that would make my “dream car” list, particularly if you’re considering vehicles that fall under six figures. But after driving the Inaugural Edition of the 2011 Challenger SRT8 392, I’ve added this amazing muscle car to my short list.
Ever since Dodge reintroduced the Challenger in 2008 as part of the American pony car revival, the vehicle has earned significant praise for the bold styling that evoked the original version from the early ’70s. It’s a beautiful coupe and Dodge is sticking with this third-generation design for the 2011 model with some minor tweaks. A total of 1,492 Inaugural Edition Challengers are being built featuring the blue-on-white or white-on-blue racing stripes that you see in the photos, but if you haven’t reserved your vehicle, you can get the 2011 Challenger SRT8 392 in all the other available colors. The retro design is lean and powerful and the car is definitely a head-turner.
While I’ve been a big fan of the new design, I didn’t truly appreciate the new Challenger until I was invited to drive the SRT8 392 in San Francisco. The car is simply amazing. I drove the automatic version and it was a joy to drive – I didn’t miss the manual at all. No matter what speed you are traveling at, the car does exactly what you want it to do whenever you touch the gas pedal and it responds with a muscular roar. The car is a torque monster – the 392 Hemi is rated at 470 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. The entry level version of the Challenger has received an upgrade as well, replacing the 250-horsepower V-6 for Chrysler’s new Pentastar V-6 with 305 horsepower.
Despite sales drops for most major automakers, Chrysler bucks the trend by posting a year over year increase for August of 7%. Jeep posted big numbers with the Patriot jumping 57% and the Liberty climbing 56%. The most glaring number was the Dodge Challenger muscle car shooting up a whopping 190%. For most companies it would be a solid month but for the rebuilding Fiat/Chrysler it bodes exceptionally well for their prospects once the new models hit showrooms in 2011.
From the Detroit Free Press:
Chrysler defied the industry trend with a 7% increase in new vehicle sales in August from a year earlier when Cash for Clunkers inflated most of its competitors’ sales.
Once again, the Jeep brand led the way with a 17% year-over-year jump, helped by a 57% sales improvement for the Patriot and 56% increase for the Liberty.
But Chrysler’s year-over-year comparison benefited from the fact that it did not capitalize on last summer’s Cash for Clunker incentives because it had very little inventory of its smaller models.
“We will continue to build in this momentum as we begin production on a stream of new product through the end of this year,” said Fred Diaz, Chrysler lead executive for U.S. sales.
During his First Annual Address to Congress in 1770, President George Washington said, “To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.” For the past decade, the muscle car segment has been quietly battling to keep a sea of dull daily drivers at bay, and the tension has finally reached its fever pitch. We are standing on the cusp of a revolution, and we are nothing if not prepared. We’ve got the horsepower, the track time and the street cred – all that’s missing is the official throwing down of the gauntlet. As of today, we’ve got that, too.
In Chrysler’s newest ad, the General and his thundering Calvary descend upon the bland, boring and bromidic (or “British”). While Washington and his four-wheeled troops rally against the Redcoats, the U.S. soccer team will be battling it out with England at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and you’ll be able to watch them both. The Dodge Challenger “Freedom” spot will air regionally during the match on Saturday, following its on-air debut at 11 p.m. EDT today during ESPN SportsCenter.
I’m not sure I’m buying this. The article cited here goes on to speculate that Sergio Marchionne is setting things up to make more drastic changes.
The situation at recently rescued Chrysler Group is even more dire than first thought, the CEO of Italy’s Fiat — which came to the aid of the U.S. automaker — said Wednesday.
“We were surprised by how little had been done in the past 24 months,” Sergio Marchionne told reporters in Frankfurt, Germany.
Chrysler will present a revised business plan in November, Marchionne told reporters.
“We have to be absolutely clear about what we want to do with Chrysler and, as a management team, where the organization is going to be in five years,” Marchionne said, according to the industry newspaper Automotive News.
Unlike General Motors, which has continued to roll out new and redesigned products even as it entered and exited bankruptcy, Chrysler has had little to tout. Its most recent new market entries are the Dodge Challenger muscle car — essentially a re-bodied Dodge Charger sedan — and the Ram pick-up.
The only new product Chrysler has entering the market this year is an industrial-duty version of the Ram truck. After that, a new version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee mid-sized SUV isn’t expected until the middle of next year.
The economy is very important. If car sales can continue to rebound, then the margin for error is greater for Fiat.
